CHENNAI: City rail passengers will soon be able to travel on AC suburban trains in the Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu section as the Railway Board allocated two 12-car AC Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rakes to the Southern Railway.
Out of the eight AC EMUs manufactured by ICF, two have been specifically designated for the Southern Railway which is expected to be introduced on this route. The first rake is scheduled for delivery in 2023-24, with the second one planned in the subsequent year.
Official sources said the state government had conducted a study to assess the demand for AC local trains in the route. Dedicated infrastructure for maintenance of the AC EMU rake needs to be developed either at Tambaram or Avadi EMU sheds, they said. The officials said similar rakes are already operational in Mumbai.